Windows 11 taskbar has a hidden "End Task" feature, how to turn it on

Microsoft has added a new feature to Windows 11 that allows you to end tasks directly from the taskbar, but it's turned off by default.

While Windows has had a 'Close Window' option when right-clicking on a taskbar icon, it would only close the particular Window associated with the right-clicked icon. If that program is configured to minimize the system tray, it will remain running.

However, with the new End Task option, Windows will terminate all processes running under the same name.

How It Works

When the "End Task" feature is enabled, you can right-click on an app icon in the taskbar and see an "End Task" option.

For programs that may launch multiple processes of the same name, such as when you open multiple Chrome or Edge browser windows, the context menu option will change to 'End all tasks.'

When selected, Windows will terminate all processes running under that name, such as chrome.exe.

When you select this option, it uses the Task Manager's end task feature to terminate the process for that specific app. This allows you to close the app without opening the Task Manager.

This feature is especially useful when a program becomes unresponsive, allowing you to quickly force the termination of the process.

Microsoft has also modified the taskbar's end task logic to allow the feature to work smoothly even when an app is broken with a "not responding" dialog.

Steps to Enable "End Task" on the Taskbar

The "End Task" feature has been available for a while now, but some of you may not be aware of it.

To turn it on or off, try these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 device.
2. Navigate to System and then For developers.  
3. Find the End Task option and toggle it to On.

Once this setting is enabled, you can easily end tasks by right-clicking on the app icon in the taskbar and selecting "End Task."